AQA paper 1: creative reading and writing, question by question

Paper 1 at a glance

AQA 8700/1 is 1 hour 45 minutes, 80 marks:

The source is one unseen 20th- or 21st-century fiction extract.

A strong paper target is:

Minute-by-minute timing plan

Use a fixed plan, not instinct.

This gives 50 minutes reading, 55 minutes writing.

Q1: list four things from the stated lines (4 marks)

What the examiner wants

AO1 retrieval only. No analysis. No inference if the text does not clearly support it.

Fastest reliable method

1. Box the line reference.
2. Re-read only those lines.
3. Underline 5–6 possible points.
4. Write exactly four separate points.

You can quote or paraphrase. Short is best.

What scores full marks

• Four valid details from the correct lines
• No repetition
• No explanation attached

Best answer shape

• Bullet or numbered list
• One point per line
• 4–9 words is often enough

Example frame:

• She keeps looking over her shoulder.
• The street is empty.
• Her hands are shaking.
• She hears footsteps behind her.

Traps

• Writing about the whole extract instead of the specified lines
• Giving three points with one developed comment
• Turning it into Q2 analysis

Q2: how does the writer use language? (8 marks)

What the examiner wants

AO2 language analysis: words, phrases, imagery, sentence forms, and their effects.

Mark target

For 7–8 marks, you need detailed, perceptive analysis. That usually means:

• 2–3 well-chosen quotations
• precise comments on methods
• effects linked to the writer’s purpose or the mood of the moment

Fastest reliable method

Use two main quotations and analyse them properly.

A strong 8-mark response is usually 2 developed paragraphs or 3 concise paragraphs.

Paragraph frame

1. Point: what feeling or idea the language creates
2. Evidence: short embedded quotation
3. Method: zoom in on one or two key words
4. Effect: what this makes the reader imagine/feel/understand
5. Why here: how it suits the moment in the extract

High-scoring sentence stems

• The verb “___” suggests...
• The adjective “___” makes the setting seem...
• The image of “___” implies...
• This phrase is effective because...
• The short sentence “___” creates...

What not to do

• Feature-spot: “This is a simile. This is alliteration.”
• Explain the story instead of the wording
• Quote huge chunks

Q3: how has the writer structured the text? (8 marks)

What the examiner wants

AO2 structure analysis across the extract. This is about how the text is organised, not mainly about word choice.

What counts as structure

Good structural points include:

• where the extract starts and ends
• shifts in focus: character, setting, object, memory, threat
• shifts in time: present to flashback, delay, revelation
• changes in pace: slow description to rapid action
• withholding and releasing information
• viewpoint changes or narrowed focus

Fastest reliable method

Track the extract in three stages:

• Start
• Middle shift
• Ending

That automatically keeps your answer whole-text.

Paragraph frame

• At the start, the writer focuses on...
• This then shifts to...
• Later / finally, the focus changes again to...
• This is effective because it makes the reader...

What scores well

A top answer explains the effect of the sequence:

• why the writer opens calmly before introducing threat
• why attention narrows onto one detail
• why the ending leaves uncertainty or resolution

Traps

• Writing another language answer
• Commenting only on the first paragraph
• Using empty labels like “cliffhanger” without effect

Q4: evaluate the statement (20 marks)

What the examiner wants

AO4 critical evaluation. You must:

• make a judgement about the statement
• support it with references
• analyse methods
• keep evaluating, not just describing

The command is usually “To what extent do you agree?”

Mark target

For 16–20 marks, your answer needs:

• a clear line of argument
• detailed references
• analysis of how the writer achieves effects
• evaluative language throughout

Fastest reliable method

Use a judgement-led structure.

Intro: 2 lines only

State your overall view.

Model shape:

I mostly agree that the writer presents the place as threatening, although moments of ordinary detail make the fear feel more believable rather than constant.

Main body: 3 paragraphs

Build each paragraph around a separate reason.

1. Agree/disagree point
2. Reference
3. Method analysis
4. Evaluation: how successfully this supports the statement

Useful evaluative verbs

• convincingly
• sharply
• subtly
• deliberately
• effectively
• less convincingly
• partly undermines
• intensifies

Strong Q4 sentence stems

• I agree to a large extent because...
• This is convincing as the writer uses...
• The description of “___” is particularly effective because...
• However, the writer also suggests...
• This makes the reader see that...

What loses marks

• Retelling the extract
• Writing a balanced debate with no real judgement
• Bolting on “the reader wants to read on” every paragraph
• Ignoring the statement’s key words

Q5: descriptive or narrative writing (40 marks)

This is worth half the paper. It is marked:

• AO5: 24 marks for content and organisation
• AO6: 16 marks for technical accuracy

Choosing the right option

Pick the task that gives you a clear controlling idea within 30 seconds.

Choose description if you can picture:

• one setting clearly
• a mood shift
• specific sensory details

Choose narrative if you can plan:

• one simple conflict
• one turning point
• one clear ending

5-minute planning method

Write these five bullets:

1. Tone: calm, uneasy, joyful, bleak
2. Opening image
3. Middle shift
4. Ending image/line
5. Three details you will return to

If you choose description

Aim for control, not a list of random images.

Strong structure:

• establish the scene
• zoom in on one striking detail
• shift perspective or mood
• end with a changed feeling or final image

Avoid:

• forced plot
• constant weather clichés
• adjective overload

If you choose narrative

Use a 4-part arc:

1. Setup
2. Build tension
3. Turning point
4. Brief resolution

Keep the time span short: five minutes, one journey, one conversation, one discovery.

What top-band writing looks like

For roughly 19–24 AO5 and 13–16 AO6, you need:

• clear, deliberate structure
• convincing control of tone and viewpoint
• varied sentence shapes used on purpose
• precise vocabulary, not thesaurus vocabulary
• secure punctuation: full stops, commas, apostrophes, dialogue punctuation if used

Technical accuracy checklist

In the last 5 minutes, check:

• sentence boundaries
• capital letters and full stops
• tense consistency
• apostrophes
• paragraphing
• spelling of common high-frequency words

The biggest traps on Paper 1

Targeted drills that actually move marks

1. Q1 accuracy drill: 4 minutes

Take any paragraph and list four facts from a given line range. Mark harshly: only exact, text-rooted points count.

2. Q2 zoom-in drill: 8 minutes

Pick one sentence. Write one paragraph analysing two words only. This trains precision.

3. Q3 mapping drill: 8 minutes

Label an extract:

• opening focus
• first shift
• tension point
• ending effect

Then write one paragraph using those labels.

4. Q4 judgement drill: 12 minutes

Given a statement, write:

• one-line overall view
• three reasons
• one quotation for each

Do not draft the full essay; practise the argument skeleton.

5. Q5 plan-and-open drill: 10 minutes

Plan a task in 5 minutes, then write only the opening 120 words. Check whether the tone is instantly clear.

Final exam rules for Paper 1

If you want one simple rule for the whole paper, use this: answer the exact skill being tested, at the exact length the marks justify.